In this episode of The Fertility Podcast, I’m discussing how to navigate through the private IVF system. It’s a topic I’ve wanted to record for an age, mainly because many of you book in to see me for advice and support on this very topic. It seems to be a big pain point. In the UK we’re not familiar with accessing private healthcare, so how do you do it? And importantly how can you change your mindset from a patient to a consumer and why is this important? I also share some great tips on how to choose the right clinic for you and what questions to ask at your first IVF appointment. Later in the pod, I’m joined by freelance journalist Antonia Hoyle @greenerlanes who recently investigated the darker side of fertility ‘treatments’. We talk tarot card readings (yes really!), alternative therapies, and immunology.We talk about how these alternative ‘treatments’ and IVF Add-ons do not have the evidence to support their use. And that vulnerable women being taken advantage, both emotionally and financially of by unregulated and self-styled fertility ‘experts’ who are offering false hope.We are delighted that this episode is sponsored by two friends of the Podcast. Firstly,  The Lowdown is the place to get the lowdown on your reproductive health. Learn about your fertility, share your experiences and read those of others. And One Day Tests your one stop shop for ‘at home’ fertility blood tests and more. The lovely people at One Day Tests are offering The Fertility Podcast listeners 10% discount with TFP10.SocialsFollow @TheFertilityPodcast on InstagramFollow @your_fertility_nurse on InstagramFollow @greenerlanes on instagramFollow @get.the.lowdown on instagramFollow @onedaytests on instagram

Happy New Year and welcome back to The Fertility Podcast. In this first episode of the new series, I'm joined Professor Helena Teede all the way from Australia! Helena is one of the authors of the International PCOS Guidelines and is here to talk about the changes to the PCOS guidelines and the proposed PCOS name change.We discuss PCOS in general, chatting about the symptoms of PCOS, both the common ones and the not so common. Helena and I discuss weght stigma and how the new guidelines move away from this and instead why we should be helping women to just be healthy to manage their PCOS proactively.Helena talks about the potential risks around pregnancy and that it is not often identified, as well as the support for pregnant women with PCOS, or sadly the lack of. She tells me how she supports women with PCOS, and the steps she takes to help them manage their condition and optimise fertility. We talked about diets and eating right, Helena explains that there is no one diet, or right way to eat when it comes to PCOS. A start contrast from what you find if you consult Dr Google! I ask Helena for her opinion on the supplement Inositol, listen in to see whether she says yes or no! We discuss the new App ASKPCOS that can really help you on your journey to understanding and managing PCOS.Lastly, Helena tells me about the proposed PCOS name change. Helena talks about the fact that PCOS is not an ovarian disease so therefore the name is incorrect. Below is a link to vote for the name change. So have your say and vote as getting the right name for this is important and your support will really help. Socials:Follow @YourFertilityNurse on InstagramFollow @TheFertilityPodcast on InstagramGo and have your say - PCOS Name changeHave a look at Home | AskPCOS International PCOS Guidelines

Morven is an independent fertility nurse specialist living in rural Scotland, and also a nurse working in cancer care within the NHS. She joins the podcast to talk about the difficulties faced by women and couples accessing fertility treatments in Scotland and the general lack of provision across the country.  What we discussed: The difficulties faced by those accessing treatment in rural areas of Scotland and other areas of the UKHow traveling long distances for fertility treatment can add to the emotional burden experienced when accessing fertility treatmentsUnlike England, Scotland does not have the IVF postcode lottery and therefore all people requiring fertility treatments are entitled to 3 rounds of IVF on the NHS, but with very few private clinics in Scotland, what happens when those 3 rounds fail?The importance of being able to advocate for yourself, particularly when your rural location means there is a lack of choice.Disparity of fertility and women’s health in Scotland and why this needs to changeWhy men in Scotland are disproportionately impacted with mental health issues and how fertility adds to this burden.Socials:Follow @YourFertilityNurse on InstagramFollow @TheFertilityPodcast on InstagramFollow Morven RN BSc | Independent Fertility Nurse Specialist (@wildraefertility) | Instagram on InstagramFollow Deborah James (@bowelbabe) | Instagram on InstagramMikeysline - mental health supportThe Women’s Health Strategy

Trigger Warning - This episode contains discussion surrounding Pregnancy loss. If today is not a good day, please come back to this episode when you're feeling a little stronger. Here at The Fertility podcast, we're always here for you.We're delighted that this week's episode is sponsored by The Lowdown - the place to get the lowdown on your reproductive health. Learn about your fertility share your experiences and read those of others.In this week’s episode of The Fertility Podcast, I am joined by a patient of mine -  Katie. Katie @secondary_infertility_life shares her story of secondary infertility, IVF and pregnancy loss.Katie knows that she is really lucky to have her little boy Jake. Jake is everything to Katie and more, however she just feels that, as yet, her family is not complete. However Katie found the process of trying to conceive again really isolating. Somehow it just felt harder to find support when you already have a child. I firmly believe that trying to conceive the second (or third, or fourth) time around is different as not only do you want a baby for yourselves but you desperately want a sibling for your existing child. So that they don’t grow up alone in life. This is exactly how Katie felt.After trying unsuccessfully for a year or so, Katie and her husband finally found out that they were pregnant. Fantastic news! However, Katie could tell something wasn’t quite right with the pregnancy, and sadly at 8 weeks they went for a scan and there was no heartbeat. Katie ended up miscarrying at home and she talks about how she felt OK physically, but took time for her to heal emotionally.After trying for another 6 months, Katie and her partner decided to start IVF. Katie had a top grade frozen embryo transfer in November last year and got a positive pregnancy test. Sadly, at Christmas, there was no heartbeat again and Katie had a miscarriage in the hospital. Katie talks about her positive experience of miscarrying at the hospital and how she got all the support she needed.Katie went for her 3rd transfer, which was sadly unsuccessful again and by this point Katie says she knew something else was wrong. She wanted to find out more and made the decision to have NK Cell testing. This identified a high level of natural killer cells which has informed her treatment going forward. At the time of recording Katie was about to embark on her next round of treatment and I’m sure you’ll all join me in wishing her the very best. We’re hoping this is the one Katie!Katie’s advice to listeners is to trust yourself and your gut, to keep driving and find out what further investigations are out there for you and get knowledgeable. Make your own decision on what’s best for you and you alone.Socials:Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on InstagramFollow @your_fertility_nurse on InstagramFollow @secondary_infertility_life on InstagramFollow @get.the.lowdown on Instagram

In this episode of the Fertility Podcast, I am joined by Mike Johnson-Ellis who is here to talk all about surrogacy. We talked about the ins and outs of surrogacy, his own surrogacy journey and how that led to the launching of TwoDadsUK and Your Surrogacy Journey. Mike and his partner Wez aim to support couples who are starting their own surrogacy journey, and are passionate about paving the way for a better future for surrogacy. What we discussed:Mike shares his surrogacy journey which resulted in two beautiful children.We talked about TwoDadsUk which launched back in 2016 and the success of the company, then the decision to launch a new non profit surrogacy organisation called My Surrogacy Journey in Feburary of 2021. Mike shared why many women choose to become a surrogate - the ultimate altruistic act. We talked about the feeling of empowerment and accomplishment that surrogates feel.We then discussed what it is like from the other side, for those who make the decision to have a family via surrogacy and the apprehensions of doing so.Mike highlighted the importance of building a relationship with the surrogate and their partner if they have one, and developing a friendship with them.Mike and I talked about where to start, what the options are for those who are looking into surrogacy, for both heterosexual couples, gay couples and single parents.We talked about the recent changes in surrogacy law. However, please note that since the recording of this episode there have been further changes not discussed here.Mike’s 3 top tips for those considering surrogacy are: Do your research - don’t rush into surrogacy, do your research on the organisation or the country your doing your journey in.Always get legal advice - just in case. Understanding that like everything, surrogacy has its highs and its lows.Socials:Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on InstagramFollow @YourFertilityNurse on InstagramFollow Michael Johnson-Ellis (@twodads.u.k) | Instagram on InstagramFollow My Surrogacy Journey (@officialmysurrogacyjourney) • Instagram photos and videos on InstagramFind Best Surrogacy Agency in UK for Surrogacy Support in UK and US (mysurrogacyjourney.com)  Find My Surrogacy Journey - Season 1 | Podcast on Spotify on Spotify

This week is National Fertility Awareness Week and we thought it was important to discuss male factor infertility. MFI is sometimes hidden in plain sight, as far too often (both by medical professionals and the TTC community) the focus is on the impact on us women. Therefore, joining me today on the Fertility Podcast is Frank Fallon a.k.a @betatwindad to talk about male factor and infertility. Frank and I talk about his diagnosis and the lack of answers from doctors, how he learned to advocate for himself and his drive to seek out his own support. Frank shares how low and shell shocked he felt when he was told that he was infertile.This was compounded sadly by his experience of unhelpful the doctors. Frank talks about how he was directed straight to IVF with no explanation or answers about the cause of his infertility. Eventually Frank was told that he had low sperm motility and that trying to conceive naturally was unlikely, however he felt there had to be a reason for his infertility and wanted to find out.Frank describes how he felt guilty and shameful, but the biggest part of it all was not having anyone to talk to. Frank wasn’t offered any support, so made the decision to seek it out himself.Frank talks about how fortunate he and his partner were to conceive on their first round of IVF and twins at that! After having the twins in 2022, Frank explains how he found out that there were tests that should have been done at the beginning of their fertility journey but were not done. Frank has now been diagnosed with a varicocele. Had this been diagnosed they may not have needed IVF treatment.Frank's advice to listeners is to find out as much as you possibly can about tests and treatments that are available to you, and make sure you reach out for the support you need.Socials:Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on InstagramFollow @YourFertilityNurse on InstagramFollow @betatwindad on Instagram

In this episode of the Fertility Podcast, I am joined by Doctor Siobhan O'Sullivan and my friend and colleague - Women's Nurse Specialist Kate Pleace to talk about premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) and World Menopause day. We talk about Siobhan's experience of being diagnosis with POI in her early 30's, and Kate discusses the fertility options available and what it's like growing older with POI.To start us off, Siobhan shares her story of talks stopping the contraceptive pill and experiencing hot flushes. At first, Siobhan thought nothing of it until it got worse over the winter. Siobhan decided to get some blood tests done and how she felt when she received her results.Siobhan makes the decision to access private care and was told that she had no ovarian reserve left. She tells us about how she wasn’t able to process it all and that she found herself not really wanting to accept her diagnosis. She felt too young for this to be happening to her and she felt that there was a part of her missing.Sadly, Siobhan diagnosis coincided with a break up from her long term partner and she explains what it is like to cope alone without the support of a partner.Over time, Siobhan has came to terms with her diagnosis of POI however she says that she is still processing it all. We talk about the impact of a diagnosis of POI on relationships and work. Kate refers to a woman in Leicester who had to quit her job because of the lack of understanding/support that she received during her menopause transition and how this is now being heard by an employment tribunal. This could pave the way for significant changes in how the menopause is viewed in the workplace.When then move on to Kate who share talks her own experience with POI and how different it can be depending on your age. Kate also talks about fertility treatments for POI including egg donation.Both Siobhan and Kate share one piece of advice for you if you are finding yourself in a similar situation. Siobhan’s advice is to get support from those who are on the same or a similar journey to you and to never be afraid to reach out for support. Kate advises to take your take your time in finding the right fertility treatment for you. You can also read Siobhan’s book ‘My life on pause’, check out the link below!Socials:Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on InstagramFollow @YourFertilityNurse on InstagramFollow Kate P, RN, MSc, Independent Women’s Health Nurse (@fertility_menopause_support) • Instagram photos and videos on InstagramMy Life on pause by Siobhan O'SullivanDaisy Network - for advice and support on POIHFEA IVF Add ons - New HFEA IVF add ons rating as mentioned in this episodes intro

This week's episode comes with a trigger warning as we are discussing pregnancy loss. If you are struggling right now, perhaps leave this episode for when you are feeling a little bit stronger and please do access all the support out there that is available to you.On what is Baby Loss Awareness Week, I am delighted to be joined by the lovely Tess Souray, model, actress and wellness influencer in the US. Tess shares her experiences of IVF, pregnancy loss and her decision to try genetic screening. Whilst navigating her fertility journey, Tess found out that her ovarian reserve levels were much lower than they should be for her age and that in fact her egg age was 10 years older than her biological age. This came as a huge shock as Tess assumed that as she young she wouldn't have any problems getting pregnant.Tess shares her frustrations of not being able to progress her fertility journey during the pandemic and the isolation she felt during this time, which has been common to many.Tess tells me about how much IVF has taught her about herself and her body, and that during a fertility journey you have to learn a whole new language with all the different words and acronyms that she had to get familiar with. We talked about the decision to go through IVF and the support that she had from her friends and other women who had gone through fertility treatments. Tess talks openly about how she coped with IVF and the challenges they went through.Tess explains how it felt, to find out at her 10 weeks scan, that there was no heartbeat. The devastating news no one wants to ever hear.Tess unfortunately had a miscarriage just before Thanksgiving, an American National holiday at the end of November. She talks about her down she felt during the holiday.Like many women, Tess felt that there was something wrong and made the decision to get further medical opinion. One specialist mentioned blood clotting, something that hadn’t been raised before with Tess.Tess made the decision to try an IVF add on tests and treatment, currently not available in the UK, called Pregmune which is a comprehensive, AI-powered fertility assessment. During these tests, Tess discovered that she had 3 active blood clots that were only present when she was pregnant. Tess shares that she was able to get the right support from her doctor and happily went on to conceive again.Tess offers some good advice that you are your best advocate, so research and find out everything you can to support your fertility journey.Socials:Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on InstagramFollow @YourFertilityNurse on InstagramFollow Tess Annique Souray (@tessannique) • Instagram photos and videos on InstagramBaby Loss Awareness WeekPregmune

This episode of The Fertility Podcast is all about the practice of Fertility awareness. Fertility Awareness may not be a term that you’ve heard previously, or you might be an expert! Essentially the term means understanding your body and becoming more aware of the changes throughout your cycle. I discuss how you can become more aware of what is happening in your body and just how to become fertility aware. In the second half of the episode, I’m joined by my colleague Laura, who has developed the ‘Read Your Body’ App. This fabulous little App, which I highly recommend, helps you get to know and understand your body. Listen in to hear what Laura has to say about her app and how it can help you when trying to conceive.What’s in this episode:In the first half of the podcast, I explain what we mean by the term ‘fertility awareness’, and share the 3 indicators of fertility to help you better understand both your body and your fertility.These three indicators are: Temperature, Cervical Mucus and your Cervix.I discuss how ovulation predictor kits and fertility monitors may help but also some of the pitfalls……I talk about how you can observe these indicators to help you identify when you’re fertile and the all important fertile window.Laura joins me to explain just what the Read Your Body app does and how it can help support you to conceive naturally.There are many methods available to help you understand your body and fertility better. From period tracking apps, to ovulation predictor kits and fertility monitors. It’s all about finding what works for you.Fertility Awareness is not currently recommended by NICE based on lack of evidence, but also concerns that women will become overwhelmed. This guidance, based on women’s curiosity and a desire to become empowered, is perhaps outdated.Becoming fertility aware is under your control. It is incredibly empowering and can provide you with so much insight. As Laura says, knowledge is power, so why would you not want to explore all the options that are available to help move you along your fertility journey?Socials:Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on InstagramFollow @YourFertilityNurse on InstagramFollow Read Your Body (@read.your.body) | Instagram on InstagramLook at Read Your Body (RYB) - Home websiteThe OvuSense Fertility MonitorFind out more about Ovom Care here

Joining us this week, on what is World Childless Week, is a familiar face. As some of you will know, Kate Pleace is one half of the ‘Kate’ double act, as she works with me in my practice seeing many of our fertility and menopause patients. However, Kate is more than just that - she’s also my beautiful friend.Kate and I first met here on The Fertility Podcast, many moon's ago, when Nat and I interviewed her to find out more about her experiences of a rare condition called progesterone sensitivity, which sadly ended her fertility journey. Kate is living a life without children but that hasn't held her back from living her life to the full.What we discussed:Kate tells us about her fertility journey that started back in 2012, like the majority of her patients, she had some time trying to conceive.Kate then moved onto IVF treatment using her own eggs which then lead to one unsuccessful cycle and one cycle that was cancelled.Kate talks about how she discovered that she had Premature Ovarian Insuffiency (POI)&nbsp;Her husband and Kate looked at using egg donation. This was Kate’s last cycle of treatment, and she became pregnant for the first time.Unfortunately, Kate develped a condition called progesterone hypersensitivity which made her very ill and resulted in a miscarriage.After Kate started to feel better, her and her husband made the decision to end their fertility journey.&nbsp;Kate talked about she felt she was childless but not by choice and how the decision was made for her.Kate and I talked about World Childless Week and what the campaign is doing during the week.&nbsp;We talked about how employee’s who are childless feel underrepresented within the workplace, and how companies should start to include them in the fertility programmes that are in place.&nbsp;How those who are single, childless or alone should receive something as well so that they feel like they are seen too.&nbsp;Kate and I discussed how the language we use when talking about trying to conceive is important, and even if it was not meant to upset the other person, it is still hurtful.&nbsp;Kate talks about her experience with comments and the language used when she was going through her fertility journey.&nbsp;We also talked about moving forward, and not moving on. Understanding that there is an after.Kate mentions legacy and how she felt like legacy was meant for someone else, that she was supposed to leave a legacy behind when in actual fact it is your legacy. Do it for yourself.&nbsp;Kate’s advice to you is: take the time to just be and to reflect with your partner and don’t try to force yourself to go to those baby showers or events like it. Be brave enough to say that you aren’t feeling up to it. Remember that you need to support yourself as well as others.&nbsp;If you would like to listen to more episodes on The Fertility Podcast that cover childlessness take a look at these:https://www.thefertilitypodcast.com/childless-not-by-choice/https://www.thefertilitypodcast.com/worldchildlessweek/https://www.thefertilitypodcast.com/robin/Socials:Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on InstagramFollow @YourFertilityNurse on InstagramFollow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fertility_menopause_support/?hl=en" rel="noopener...

*Trigger Warning: Mentions of pregnancy loss*In this episode of The Fertility Podcast I chat with the Infertile Midwife, Sophie Martin about infertility, IVF and pregnancy loss. Sophie’s experiences inspired her to write a deeply personal and moving memoir and changed her perspective on her practice as a midwife. Sophie shares how pregnancy loss can impact on the wider family, something we might not have the emotional energy to consider at the time. We also talk about the publication of the recent Pregnancy Loss Review and Sophie’s hopes for change as a result.What we discussed:Sophie shares her infertility journey, including her gut feeling that she was going to struggle to conceive, and the ultimate decision to access privately funded IVFWe talk about Sophie’s joy of finding out that she was pregnant with identical twins and then the devastation when she went into spontaneous labour at 21 weeksSophie talks about her decision to share the story of Wilfred and Cecil because pregnancy loss is not something to be ashamed of.How her own experience has changed her practice as a midwife and that Sophie has gained a different level of understanding her patients.We talked about Sophie going back to work and how she coped with the inevitable triggers.Sophie shares her experience of further rounds of IVF, becoming pregnant again and how to cope with pregnancy after infertility and loss.We discussed the impact of loss on the wider family. Sophie shares how it is important to learn to lean on others and being open with your family.We discussed the recent Pregnancy Loss Review and our hopes for the future.And to finish, Sophie tells me about her book, to be released on the 31st of August 2023. Her book is a moving, hopeful and warm account of her work as a midwife in a busy London hospital whilst dealing with infertility and pregnancy lossSocials:Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on InstagramFollow @YourFertilityNurse on InstagramFollow Sophie Martin (@the.infertile.midwife) • Instagram photos and videos on InstagramYou can pre-order Sophie’s book here The Infertile Midwife: In Search of Motherhood - A Memoir (geni.us)You can check out the Pregnancy Loss review here Pregnancy Loss Review - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)You can find out more about Sepsis here Symptoms of sepsis - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Welcome back to the Fertility Podcast, after our summer break we return with Fertility Coach Sarah Banks to talk about support (or sadly the lack of) in IVF clinics. Both Sarah and I hear frequently, from the people we support, that there is just not enough emotional support in clinics. Sarah is working hard to raise awareness of this with fertility clinics, and has recently completed a survey with her support communities to assess the degree of emotional support provided in clinics.This is what we discussed:Sarah explains the results of her survey. From a total of 200 responses so far, respondents rated the level of support as 4.9 out of 10.&nbsp;8.4% reported having zero support in their clinic and 60% felt that their clinic did not have a culture of support. Many respondents felt that the degree of support had lessened since the Pandemic, with patients feeling more like a number than an individual.We talked about how there is an expectation of support and that it is now greater than it has ever been. Sarah explained why this might be the case.Sarah talked about how clinics have received her data and that she is finding that they are more open to understanding what patients need but we still have a long way to go.Sarah offered suggestions for the types of support that clinics should be offering. Counseling in clinics is often limited to one session, and counseling is not for everyone. Sarah discusses the benefit of a support group to find commonality and to feel validated, reading materials, signposting to reputable social media accounts, Apps etcSarah highlights that there needs to be a culture change among staff and the importance of receiving training to better understand the emotional needs of patients. Understandably, staff in clinics are very busy but they need to be empathetic to patients so that they feel fully supported.Sarah shares her fertility journey of 6 years and two cycles of IVF to conceive her son. This led her to retrain to be a fertility coach, and set up support groups locally and internationally.&nbsp;Sarah later developed the IVF Positivity Planner which is a fabulous resource to support you on your fertility journey. The planner is a coaching book combined with a 12 week journal to help you focus on the things you can control, from self care to action plans and goal setting to help you move forward. We totally recommend it!Finally Sarah’s advice if you feel you're not getting support from you clinic is to speak to them and tell them how you're feeling. Clinics do want to support you, so feed this back to them and get your voice heard. You can also look for professional support via BICA (British Infertility Counseling Association) or you may prefer a fertility coach to support you.We would love to hear your experiences of the support you received at your clinic. Check out Sarah’s survey via the link in her instagram bio (see below)Socials:Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on InstagramFollow @YourFertilityNurse on InstagramFollow Sarah Banks | Fertility Coach (@ivfpositivityplanner) on InstagramFind IVF Positivity Planner – Sarah Banks Coaching&nbsp;BICA - https://www.bica.net/Fertility Coaching with Kate and <a...

This week we have a friend of the podcast returning to chat. Shaun a.k.a @knackered_knackers was previously on the podcast talking about his fertility journey using donor sperm. You can check out his previous episode Sperm Banter on the Fertility Podcast website. Now he is back with updates and more! Tune in to listen to what he is doing now and how his experiences have changed his life.Here is what we discussed:Shaun updates us on his fertility journey using donor spermHis experience with male factor fertility, how he felt when receiving news about his fertilityHis decision to start a new career path to help others and how that is working out for him.How he has started to share his story to help others on a similar journey to him and try to gain more awareness around male fertility.Why Shaun is training to be a coach and why he felt there was a need for a dedicated fertility coach for men.Shaun’s tips on what to do to stay focused when receiving news from the doctor and how to cope with that news.The support he got from those around him, and how that helped him to then better himself and his clientsWhat it is like having donor conceived childrenHis process with his clients, how he gets them to open up, and why it is so important to talk.Socials:Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on InstagramFollow @YourFertilityNurse on InstagramFollow @knackered_knackers on InstagramFind Shaun’s previous episode here Sperm Banter • The Fertility Podcast

This episode of the Fertility Podcast, Zoe is joining me as we talk about the importance of feeling empowered on your fertility journey and being able to advocate for yourself. Zoe talks about her infertility and how it led her to using donor eggs and the obstacles that she and her partner faced in order to create their family.What we discussed:Her diagnosis of childhood cancer and how this impacted her fertility for the futureHow Zoe dealt with her infertility and how it she had to have a difficult conversation with her husband, early on in their relationshipThe options they had to consider when trying for a babyTalking about Zoe’s journey with donor conception and her decision to choose an anonymous donorBeing told by her clinic in Spain that her first donor cycle would definitely be successful and then the shock of a negative pregnancy testHow Zoe was able to positively advocate for herselfHow it is important to go out and do your own research and be prepared to have an honest conversation with your consultantsLearn to cherry pick what you need and to take control and ownership of your fertility journeySocials:Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on InstagramFollow @YourFertilityNurse on InstagramMitochondrial Donation Treatment - https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/embryo-testing-and-treatments-for-disease/mitochondrial-donation-treatment/

The Fertility Podcast is honoured to be joined by Martha, founder of Martha Brook Stationary. Tune in to listen to Martha as she talks about the origins of Martha Brook Stationary and her own fertility journey involving 7 rounds of IVF and a battle with endometriosis.What we discuss:The origins of Martha Brook London&nbsp;Martha on her diagnosis of Endometriosis&nbsp;Martha’s reaction to being told she would not be able to have children&nbsp;How Martha juggled the challenges faced with running a business and navigating IVF treatment&nbsp;Martha’s honesty with her work team and how her own experiences have enhanced her ability to support the emotional wellbeing of her employeesThe creation of the Martha Brook IVF journal and how it can support your fertility journeySocials:Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on InstagramFollow @YourFertilityNurse on InstagramFollow Martha Brook (@marthabrookldn) | Instagram on InstagramThe Martha Brook IVF JournalGo to The Martha Brook Story | Martha Brook for more!&nbsp;

Warning: Explicit contentWelcome to the Mindfulness episode! Joining me today is Amy Polly who is a Mindfullness Teacher and we will be talking about how mindfulness can help with fertility. Amy will give some tips on how you can have a go at mindfulness in your daily life.&nbsp;What we discussed:What drew Amy to mindfulness and how it has helped her in everyday lifeHow mindfulness can help through the stress of fertilityThe research and science behind mindfulness&nbsp;Talking about taking notice of what is around you, what you are doing - Mindfulness everydayBreathing meditation&nbsp;Socials:Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on InstagramFollow @YourFertilityNurse on InstagramFollow @ThisisAmyPolly on InstagramFind Amy Polly on LinkedIn&nbsp;

Trigger Warning: mentions of domestic abuse and infant lossIn this episode, I am joined by Social worker Rachel who became a young mum and experienced many hurdles through her fertility journey. Rachel talks about her son being diagnosed with Tay-Sachs disease and the journey they went on, the aftermath and starting trying to conceive.&nbsp;What we discussed:Her life and how if changed after her mum remarriedHer son’s diagnosis and the process which her and her husband went throughThe issues raised after her son’s death and the support she receivedHow her experiences led her to her career and what she does to support others who may be in a similar situation as herRachel talks about her remarriage and how another hurdle was thrown at herRachel and her new husband desire to start a family and the problems raised through thisThe process of trying to get pregnant and all the treatments that Rachel had to go through&nbsp;How we should focus more on Women's health from an early ageSocials:Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on InstagramFollow @YourFertilityNurse on InstagramFollow @DancinginBabydust on InstagramFollow @Fatpositivefertility on InstagramFind out more about Hannah Pearn at Acupuncture Fertility London - Hannah Pearn Acupuncture

Tune in to listen to me talking about stress and how it affects your fertility journey. Take an opportunity to put the kettle on and relax while listening to this episode as I bust some myths about stress.What I discuss:The research and science behind stress&nbsp;The ‘flight or fight’ responseShort and long time effects on the bodyProfessor Jacky Boivin - Cardiff University and her research on the impact of stress on fertility&nbsp;How our bodies can adapt to conditions that may not be suitable, for example war stricken countries have some of the highest birth ratesHow stress impacts all aspects of lifeFinding supportSocials:Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on InstagramFollow @YourFertilityNurse on InstagramFind out more about Jacky Boivin Professor Jacky Boivin - People - Cardiff University

Welcome back to The Fertility Podcast. We’ve had a bit of a break and now we’re back sounding a little different! It’s just me - Kate. Nat is off working hard with her Fertility Matters at Work co-founders and so, I’ve taken control of the reins!In this first episode, my guest is Paulina, Paulina, who was diagnosed with PCOS 4 years previously, then received the shocked diagnosis of a Borderline Ovarian Tumour in 2020. She talks about what it felt like when she received this diagnosis and what this means for her fertility going forward.Paulina’s journey proves that if you feel something is up with your body that you should find out as soon as you can. Despite all the surgeries and scans, Paulina still wants to conceive and have a child.&nbsp;What we discussed:&nbsp;Where she was and what if felt like to receive her diagnosisThe process that she went through&nbsp;The struggle of Covid 19 and how that affected her journeyThe difficulties that she found with communication with her DoctorsThe after effects of the scans and surgeriesProcess of trying to get pregnant with one ovary that has PCOSTurning to IVF and then choosing to freeze her eggs privately&nbsp;Looking into a Sperm Bank&nbsp;Socials:Follow @TheFertilityPodcast on InstagramFollow @YourFertilityNurse on InstagramFollow @OvaryOff on Instagram

Have a listen to hear what you can expect from the new look podcast, now hosted by Kate Davies, as of Monday 6th March.

So this is a goodbye from me - Natalie, but it's going to be a Hello from Kate... and in this slightly indulgent final episode, you'll hear a little bit from me as to my decision to stop publising this podcast with me at the helm and my plans to hand over the mic to my trusty co-host Kate Davies who is soon going to be sharing more about her plans as I leave this feed in her capable hands for 2023. If you've just found this podcast, please do explore our back catalogue which can be found in all your favourite podcast apps, under the following: Getting Pregnancy ReadyMale FertilityPregnancy LossInfertility Support Donor Conception and SurrogacyMeanwhile if you'd be so kind to leave a review on the podcast if it's helped you in anyway, please do so here You can also keep in touch with me on my insta

Welcome to the latest episode of The Fertility Podcast Bitesize. We are in conversation again with Dr Theodorou, a Consultant Gynaecologist and Specialist in Reproductive Medicine at the Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health explaining what patients can expect during their first consultation with a fertility consultant&nbsp;What we discussed:&nbsp;Reasons why people come to the clinicPeople want to be confident before they start trying, others might have tried with no success for some time. This varies from a few months or years.&nbsp;People who have had failed cycles elsewhere and want another approachCouples who need a donor - heterosexual, same-sex or solo&nbsp;Fertility Preservation - male or female, for medical reasons eg. treatment that could impact fertility or social reasons eg. when people want to preserve for the future. Another reason is to avoid a known genetic disease.&nbsp;Surrogacy&nbsp; - due to medical reasons or same-sex males&nbsp;Initial investigative tests - male would be semen analysis and for a female ultrasound to check the uterus, ovary and fallopian tube and blood tests to check AMH, FSH and ovulation&nbsp;Depending on circumstances they may go got specialist tests eg. recurrent miscarriage or a medical issue which could affect fertility&nbsp;The stress of fertility treatment and the importance of counselling and support along the way&nbsp;Explanation of implications of counselling and when it's needed.&nbsp;You can find out more about CRGH hereSubscribe to The Fertility Podcast&nbsp;Follow Fertility Podcast on Instagram

Earlier in this series, we spoke about the Corporate world of IVF and how clinics around the world were consolidating, and what that meant for you the patient. In this episode, we’re looking at the future of IVF and our first conversation is with Stuart Lavery, a senior consultant gynaecologist, a well-respected member of the global human fertility community, and a founding director of Aria Fertility, our second guest is Professor Nick Macklon, Medical Director of The London Women’s clinic and Medical Advisor at Verso.&nbsp;What we discussed:&nbsp;IVF Changed over the last 10 yearsThe biggest provider of IVF in the UK is a private equity&nbsp;What we can learn from the USFertility is an illness becoming demedicalised&nbsp;How his clinic Aria - competes with the big chainsMost of the big groups had the same success rates, same treatments - but mediocre customer experiencesUsing technology to enhance the patient experience.&nbsp;How important it is for a patient to feel confident and comfortable&nbsp;Tech changes that are here now and a huge amount coming tomorrowTech companies who believe tech will trump biologyDevelopments in the lab are around automation and minimization&nbsp;IVF at Home - saliva test at home replacing coming into the clinic for blood, e- consenting, and home ultrasound&nbsp;Important not to exacerbate inequalities in access to treatmentThere’s no reason that the NHS can’t be at cutting edge of technology given the patient volume it has coming through.&nbsp;NHS clinics shouldn’t access less, it should be the same standard whether you pay or access the NHS.&nbsp;The decline in ‘Gentle IVF’Automated robotic ICSIThe decline of IUI&nbsp; - need to make sure the right treatment goes to the right patientProfessor Nick Macklon explains how the incubator or the Uterine environment hasn’t really been studied until nowWhat is device monitoring?How research shows how much it fluctuates between womenHow does it impact embryo transferHow oxygen levels can change which can affect implantationHow Secretions can also affect implantationWhat this means for the future of IVF treatment&nbsp; Follow us on our socials!!!We really want to hear your thoughts on whether this matters to you.Please email.&nbsp;Fertility Poddy on InstaKate on Insta&nbsp;Aria Fertility on InstaAria Fertility websiteThe London's Women Clinic on InstaThe London's Women Clinic website

Welcome to another episode of The Fertility Podcast bitesize, with The Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health (CRGH) in this snippet, we’re going to be hearing from Xavier Brunetti, Deputy Head of Embryology to talk you through the lab set-up at CRGH. It’s fascinating getting to understand more about what happens post egg collection in the lab and how the Emrbyologists work and how they feel about sharing the news of what is going on with your precious embryos. So have a listen to Xavi explain more about the process.&nbsp;We discuss:&nbsp;What happens after egg collection&nbsp;How they are prepared for IVF or ICSIWhat ICSI is, how it is prepared for treatment&nbsp;How the embryos start to divide over 5-6 daysWhat the embryologist is looking for and what it looks like when an embryo develops abnormallyThe speed at which the embryo divides and what it showsWhen a biopsy happensEgg freezing&nbsp;What happens during embryo transfer and what the patient is toldWhat happens when it is a frozen embryo transfer&nbsp;Embryologists contact patients and how they are always happy to explain things as much as the patient needsWhat it feels like when a patient names their baby after the embryologist&nbsp;Find out more about CRGH here Follow CRGH on Instagram Follow Fertility Podcast on Instagram

This episode of The Fertility Podcast Bitesize is a conversation with Dr Matt Prior, a doctor in Newcastle, and an NHS consultant one of 143 experts is answering more of your questions over at fertially.com who we've worked with to make this bitesize chunk for you. In this episode Matt explains what tests you can expect prior to starting IVF treatment, how you can prepare for your first cycle and he also explains why it might not work. Nothing can take away the heartache of a failed cycle, however hearing an expert validate that it's not your fault can sometimes ease the pain, which is why we wanted to share this bitesize snippet. What we discussed: Tests you should expect before starting treatment: 3 most important are an Ultrasound to check womb, and counting follicles, AMH to check egg reserve, Male would have a sperm test to check any issues to make sure you don’t go through collecting eggs and then there being an issue with the sperm. Other tests might check blood - for anaemia, thyroid function, also both partners would be advised to check for Hepatitis and HIV.&nbsp;Statistically first cycle is most likely to work, but IVF isn’t the most successful of treatment.&nbsp;For most people whatever age - its not likely to be successful&nbsp;Ahead of IVF take folic acid good, eat a sensible diet, don’t limit the amount of alcohol that you drink, look at different lifestyle factors.It’s important that even if you do take into consideration a change in lifestyle factors, if your treatment doesn’t work it’s key not to beat yourself up that you&nbsp; might not have stuck to the diet that google told you or the book you bought.&nbsp;Know that actually, most of it is out of your control and while you can do everything to try and prepare to make the IVF cycle successful, it might not happen.Consider IVF as a funnel - of those starting will have an egg collection 95% or nearly all of them will have embryos to transfer.&nbsp;30 to 40% of women all become pregnantAfter a positive pregnancy test, about 70 to 80% of women go on and have a baby so really IVF fails the most between embryo transfer and pregnancy test.Issues with embryo grading, putting back a perfect embryo still doesn’t guarantee successTransfer process could be problematicThere could a problem with the womb lining - there is still a lack of evidence.&nbsp;SOCIALS: Follow The Fertility Podcast on Instagram Follow FertiAlly on Instagram Find out more about Dr Matt Prior

This is a timely episode as the HFEA has just announced a change in the law for the storage of our frozen eggs, embryos, and sperms. From 1 July 2022, all patients can store their eggs, sperm, and embryos for their own treatment for up to 55 years, you just must make sure you provide consent every 10 years. Frozen Embryos are a topic that I do find quite triggering to be honest, as we didn’t go on to use ours. We donated them to science which is something I have spoken about on this podcast before.&nbsp; Frozen embryos cause a lot of anguish to fertility patients when they don’t know if they can handle more treatment or if they can’t afford it, but it feels so unfair not to hold on to this precious material. But then as the popularity of IVF continues to grow and become more aware of it and have more access to it and sadly need it, there ultimately becomes more and more embryos in storage. We speak to embryologist Giles Palmer about this issue&nbsp;What was discussed:&nbsp;The anguish having frozen embryos has on people&nbsp;How it feels&nbsp;Reference to paper Giles wrote&nbsp;How each country has its own laws on the storage of embryos&nbsp;The growing inventory of eggs and sperm around the world and every clinic is talking about&nbsp;Storage fee that is attached&nbsp; -how that is communicated with the patient&nbsp;Compassionate transfer&nbsp;Single embryo transfer, fertility preservation - all leading to a growing inventory300% increase in embryos stored over 5 years&nbsp;If you weren’t pregnant 75% of patients go back for the embryosIf they were pregnant to live birth 16% go back&nbsp;Giles spoke about how a new Dewer bought every year&nbsp; - to store the embryos and he had to kn0ck down a wall to store them. The problem for many clinics - problem do they store in-house or off-site at a bio depositary&nbsp;How to deal with issues when storage time is upCan’t store samples after consent is upPaper said 25% of samples - never be used&nbsp;Embryos are yours to take elsewhere if you want to move them from your clinic&nbsp;Seed Ships&nbsp;SOCIALS: Follow us&nbsp;We really want to hear your thoughts on whether this matters to you. Please email&nbsp;info@thefertilitypodcast.comFertility PoddyKate&nbsp;Giles Palmer on InstaWebinars - https://ivfmeeting.com/HFEA on Insta&nbsp;HFEA press release

We’re in a conversation about what happens to our frozen embryos and the future of cryo storage with Cynthia Hudson, VP of Clinical Strategy &amp; Specimen Services at TMRW, and Elizabeth Carr, the first IVF baby born in the United States. To give you a bit of background, Cynthia is an embryologist and medical technologist with over 20 years of experience in reproductive technology she has worked in, and founded, a number of leading IVF practices and designed multiple IVF laboratories and Natalie met with her in London to get a live demo of their technology. Elizabeth works with the company as part of their marketing team and shared her experience of life as the first &nbsp;IVF baby in the US, and her decision to become work in the world of ART.&nbsp;What was discussed&nbsp;Explaining the TMRW system in the CloudOpportunity to have lots of backups and a cynic’s inventory is updated in a real team&nbsp;How the system speeds up a lab and makes an embryologist's life easier&nbsp;Cryo beacon - holds up to 8 cry devices - standard to what exists. It has a cap, so devices can’t full out and it has a chip on it so it can be identified hands-free.&nbsp;Explanation of freezing and how if the cells aren’t treated before the temperature is lowered it will damage the embryo, so the water must be removed and replaced with a cry protectant.&nbsp;How the freezing process has changed in the last 10-15 years. Taking the temp from 37 deg C to -1.96 in under 1 second&nbsp;Previously walked around with buckets made of styrofoam and never had a purpose-built tool to move tissue safely around the lab. It has a see-through lid to never lose line of sight to the specimen.&nbsp;How it is frozen, using iris recognition and then frozen.&nbsp;Know the exact location of the beacon within the system&nbsp;Numbers&nbsp; - take the storage capability vertically.&nbsp;In a standard clinic, they have to be manually filled, liquid nitrogen has to be at the right tempSome have over 100 dewers - has to be filled and monitored regularly. This tech does it automatically.&nbsp;Overwatch 24 hours to make sure they know everything going on in every system.&nbsp;Taking a lot of risk out of the process.&nbsp;Elizabeth talks about how her parents had to leave the state they were living in to travel to a different one as it was illegal in the state they lived in.&nbsp;Her childhood was shaped by the need for her to ‘look normal’ as the topic of IVF was so she went into journalism&nbsp; - because she was fed up with people asking stupid questions and decided at 10 years old she could do a better job&nbsp;The conversations she has with the clinic conversation about cryo storageHow the volume of specimens has increased, meaning the embryologists have to do a lot of extra processes - to manage them&nbsp;How clinics become an accidental storage facility&nbsp;Patients now are so much more educated and are asking more questions&nbsp;To find out more visit TMRW&nbsp;We really want to hear your thoughts on whether you think about where your embryos are stored and if this episode has got you thinking, so please email&nbsp; info@thefertilitypodcast.comInsta:TMRWFertility PoddyKate&nbsp;

Welcome to the latest episode of The Fertility Podcast Bitesize. We are in conversation again with Kirsty Lee Wright and Joycelia Green, two Senior Nurses at The Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health explaining how valuable getting emotional support during your treatment is, whether it's from professionals or from your friends. Plus the importance of setting boundaries.&nbsp;What we discussed:&nbsp;Find your tribeTalk to someone&nbsp;Tell the nurses about your good and your bad days as the forums and online groups can be helpful but you shouldn't compare yourself to anyone else.&nbsp;Our bodies do different things and sometimes info online can be confusing and conflicting&nbsp;If you decide you need a nurse and you want to talk - or if you want to be left to your own devices do what is right for you&nbsp;Self-care - destressing with exercising, or decompressing is important&nbsp;You are having hormone treatment, so don’t apologize as you will experience a range of emotions and that is why you need the right support network.&nbsp;Set boundaries with friends and family as you might not want to tell them much&nbsp;Speak to the counselor at your clinic, if you want to do that before starting, it can be. Don’t wait until things go wrong no matter how strong you are, sometimes that objective opinion is what you need.&nbsp;Your nurse can support you in how to talk about this at work, you can bring your work diary into the clinic, to work out a treatment plan so scans fit around your schedule.&nbsp;Use work as a distraction but also you need to give yourself time for yourself.&nbsp;You can find out more about CRGH hereSubscribe to The Fertility Podcast&nbsp;Follow Fertility Podcast on Instagram&nbsp;

In this episode of Behind the Scenes of IVF, we’re looking at who owns the clinics, with there being more groups, more venture capitalists, and more private equity. What does this mean for you, the patient? How might it impact your decision-making? What might the benefits be? We’re in conversation with James Nicopoullus, Medical Director at The Lister Fertility Clinic, Peter Reeselv - Founder and CEO of The Fertility Consultancy, and Griffin Jones founder of Fertility BridgeWhat was discussed:&nbsp;How the HFEA is still in charge in the UK as the regulatorsVCs who have bought clinics as they see it as a good business prospect and will have a master plan to make money&nbsp; - therefore there will be pressure, however word of mouth will always ensure the clinic is a success&nbsp;How clinics must make it absolutely clear where the ownership is on their website&nbsp;Finance packages are separate from the clinical decision making&nbsp;Whether prices will change and become more regulatedWhere does the buck stop when something goes wrong&nbsp;What is happening in Europe and how developments in the fertility space are changing because the pioneers are retiring so international networks can combine and offer more opportunities for patients.How fertility tourism is going.&nbsp;How Sweden, Norway, and France are now enabling single women and same-sex couples able to have treatment, yet in Poland, this is the opposite&nbsp;&nbsp;How consolidation should put more pressure on clinics to improve services&nbsp;Shared best practiceNetworks enable clinics from different countries to&nbsp; come together and share best practices and research&nbsp;The global reach of IVFPrivate equity within the IVF sectorHow Branding has changed over the last 20 years&nbsp;SOCIALS:&nbsp;&nbsp;We really want to hear your thoughts on what helped you choose your clinic?. Please email&nbsp;info@thefertilitypodcast.comFertility Poddy's InstaKate's&nbsp;InstaFertility Consultancy&nbsp;on LinkedInThe LIster's InstaFertility Bridge's Insta&nbsp;

In this episode we’re talking to some incredibly passionate people who absolutely love their jobs - meet the Embryologists and learn about the highs and lows of their work as we talk to 3 female and one male embryologist - in a field that is over 75% female. We hear from Alease Daniel, Victoria Wigley, Dani Smale, and Giles Palmer about what makes them happy and sad in their work.&nbsp;What was discussed:&nbsp;Why Alease chose to share her work on social media to dispel the mystery about the lab and how it can empower patients&nbsp;How Labs can be understaffed and embryologists are undervalued and their opinions aren’t valued.&nbsp;Burnout but it’s still a job - they don’t want to be worked to death and the human aspect of the embryologist isn’t considered.&nbsp;Lack of training in delivering bad newsHow when Victoria was working as a lab manager meant she could spend more time with patients - not been able to do that previously, so didn’t have the opportunity to build rapport&nbsp;How she realized there was a gap in the info from the lab side - eg. lots of questions from patients about add-ons that make patients feel vulnerable&nbsp;The benefit of having someone impartial to go through them to make an informed decision to go back to the clinic and feel more in control&nbsp;WHow being an Emrbyologist is always a topic of conversation at dinner parties always fascinates people.&nbsp;How you go on the journey with patients so when it doesn’t work or they lose the baby, it’s heartbreaking&nbsp;Embryologists are scientists and aren’t trained in the emotional side&nbsp;Talks about a study of over 1k embryologists - looking at mental health and presented as a poster at Fertility 2022Job needs a lot of skills, as there is little automation.&nbsp;Need good hand and eye coordinationOften work alone&nbsp; but often don’t do the whole cycleCan be very stressful&nbsp;Daily appraisal - why didn’t this person get pregnant&nbsp;Time Commitment - every weekend, on a rota, often on call - mission-critical equipment is on alarms&nbsp;Job changes all the timeAbout 75% are female to male in embryology&nbsp;The embryology population is ageing out&nbsp;This series of The Fertility Podcast is sponsored by TMRW&nbsp;SOCIALS: We really want to hear your thoughts on whether this matters to you. Please email&nbsp;Fertility PoddyKate&nbsp;Alease Daniel&nbsp;Victoria Wigley&nbsp;Giles PalmerIVF Initiative Webinars - https://ivfmeeting.com/

Welcome to the latest episode of The Fertility Podcast Bitesize. We are in conversation with Kirsty-Lee Wright and Joycelia Green, two Senior Nurses at The Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health who are sharing some top tips for your IVF cycle that they gathered from the 28 strong nurse team at the clinic. The nurses are always on hand to hold your hand, literally as well as answer any questions you might have in between your consultations and stages of treatment and these tips are really handy.&nbsp;What we discussed:&nbsp;Bringing in your own dressing gown&nbsp;Remove all piercings, especially the intimate ones&nbsp;Bring a snack for after egg collectionPlan a treat for that post egg collection breakfast&nbsp;Read all your discharge information once you’ve gone home and had a sleep and if anything doesn’t make sense - ring/email the nurses with any questions&nbsp;You can find out more about CRGH hereSubscribe to The Fertility Podcast&nbsp;Follow Fertility Podcast on Instagram&nbsp;

This episode of The Fertility Podcast Bitesize is in partnership with Mira, and you’ll be hearing from its founder Sylvia Kang to explain why it’s important to understand your fertility hormones and how monitoring them is a great way to help you understand whether or not you are ovulating and what might be going on with your menstrual cycle. Mira describes itself as offering personalized cycle prediction by measuring an exact number of hormone concentrations in urine samples, which can tell women their full fertile window, pinpointing ovulation, revealing hormone imbalances, and pregnancy status.What was Discussed:&nbsp;How hormones are measuredWhat you are looking for&nbsp;What surges you are looking for in your LH and whyOestrogen levels explainedWhen progesterone surges&nbsp;When the FSH surge should happen and what happens if it is too high&nbsp;When is your fertile window&nbsp;How Mira works and what you can learn from the app&nbsp;Visit Mira to get your 10% and add THEFERTILITYPODCAST to your order.Follow Mira on InstaFollow The Fertility Poddy

Welcome to the latest episode of The Fertility Podcast bite-size. We are in conversation with Dr.Theodorou,&nbsp; Consultant Gynaecologist, and Specialist in Reproductive Medicine at The Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health about Egg Freezing. If you want to understand more about whether this could be an option for you then this snippet will give you plenty to think about.&nbsp;What we discussed:&nbsp;What is involved in initial tests and who might freeze their eggs and whyWhat a treatment plan looks like and when in your cycle it would start&nbsp;When is the best time to freeze your eggs?&nbsp;Explanation of egg health and egg ageEgg quality over the age of 40When it is good to freeze eggs early, eg. known family history of low egg reserve or issues such as endometriosis or operation on the ovaries that would impact the ovarian reserve.&nbsp;What egg quality decline means&nbsp;How egg freezing is empowering for a woman’s career and the options it gives for the future if they were to have treatment older&nbsp;How companies are offering egg freezing benefits&nbsp;How best to afford the treatment with finance packages available&nbsp; - CRGH offers Secure Find out more about CRGH hereSubscribe to The Fertility Podcast&nbsp;Follow Fertility Podcast on Instagram&nbsp;

Egg health is a topic Kate and I are always asked about and having spoken with Embryologist Lucy Lines, on the podcast before we knew she’d be perfect for sharing bitesize chunks of helpful information on the matter. Lucy’s career as an embryologist began with Monash IVF in Melbourne in 2001. Since then, she has worked in Sweden, the UK, Ireland, and Germany. Lucy is one of 143 experts answering more of your questions over at fertially.com and we've worked to make this bitesize chunk for you.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What was discussed:&nbsp;What is the relationship between fertility and egg quality?&nbsp;Can you explain a bit about why and how egg quality declines over time?What foods can improve egg quality&nbsp;Does poor egg quality cause Down syndrome or genetic diseases in the baby?&nbsp;How many eggs do you lose per cycle?Find out more about Lucy here&nbsp;Follow Lucy on InstaFollow FertiAlly on InstaSubscribe to The Fertility Podcast&nbsp;Follow Fertility Podcast on Instagram&nbsp;

Welcome to the latest episode of The Fertility Podcast bite-size where we are in conversation with Dr. Waal Saab, Deputy Clinical Director at The Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health about Sperm Health. It’s important to understand that infertility is a male and female issue and you will learn more about sperm health and what you can do to improve it.&nbsp;What we discussed:&nbsp;How does sperm quality impact the ability to conceive?&nbsp;How fertility issues are a fifty-fifty male-female issue - 40% of fertility issues are related to a female factor infertility 40% to male factor infertility and 20% are unexplained.The impact on miscarriages&nbsp;Testing the sperm including Sperm DNA fragmentation test.&nbsp;Recurrent IVF failuresLifestyle changes and how long sperm takes to develop&nbsp;Issues with heat and sperm healthWhy a diet rich in antioxidants and some minerals should be considered.&nbsp;The decline in sperm counts&nbsp;Issues with Anabolic steroids and protein shakes&nbsp;Find out more about CRGH here

Today’s bitesize is withKate - co-host of The Fertility Podcast where you can find yourfertilitynurseAre you currently trying to conceive but nothing is happening?Do you find it hard to access your GP for help and would like to move forward on your fertility journey?Kate explains how she is now offering blood tests as well as her normal fertility consultation.So you can now choose to book a Preparing for Pregnancy home blood test &amp;fertility consultation package or the Ovarian Reserve (Fertility MOT) homeblood test and fertility consultation package. &nbsp;Here's what's involved in both:⁠• Book the Planning forpregnancy blood test and a fertility consultation to review your results andreceive bespoke advice on information on how to optimize your fertility.⁠• Simple and easy-to-do finger-prick blood test.⁠• Blood test checks your full hormone profile, Thyroid, prolactin, and vitamin D⁠• 60-minute consultation provides personalized medical and lifestyle advice to optimize your fertility.⁠Get in touch via https://yourfertilityjourney.com/ and make sure you tell her you heard about her right here. &nbsp;Get in touch with@fertilitypoddy

Welcome to another episode of The Fertility Podcast bitesize, with The Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health (CRGH) in this snippet, we’re going to be hearing from Xavier Brunetti, Deputy Head of Embryology to explain more about how embryos are graded. All too often there are conversations online within Facebook groups or forums about what the different gradings mean and it can cause all sorts of stress and unease for patients. We are all so different and every clinic is different, so Dr. Google is not your friend when you are at this stage of your fertility treatment. So have a listen to Xavi explain more about what the embryologist is looking for and what happens in the lab.&nbsp;We discuss:&nbsp;Day 1 - Day 3 and then Day 4 to Day 5 or 6Symmetry, fragmentation, can they see the nucleiHow synchronized cell divisions are&nbsp;How Blastocysts grow&nbsp;What that means for the gradingHow the lab keeps in touch with you - the patient&nbsp;How to manage patients' expectations of egg collection&nbsp;Find out more about CRGH here Follow CRGH on Instagram Follow Fertility Podcast on Instagram

Wishing you a Happy Easter or a Happy Passover - or just a Happy Bank Holiday. This episode is a bit of an interactive one, so you might want to listen back if you’re on the move as I have a few tasks, all of them good and useful I hope.&nbsp;Mainly to get in touch and leave a message if you’d like via The Fertility Podcast about the topics we’re discussing in our next series - so have a listen and Kate and I would love to hear from you.&nbsp;The news feeds of our archive as mentioned in this episode can be found here:Getting Pregnancy Ready Infertility Support Pregnancy Loss Male Fertility Alternative Routes to Parenthood&nbsp;Come say hello on Insta&nbsp;Or Twitter

Welcome to the latest episode of The Fertility Podcast bite-size where we are in conversation with Dr Waal Saab, Deputy Clinical Director at The Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health.What was discussed: How treatment is tailored depending on medical history Success rates and what they mean at different clinicsHow CRGH is open 24/7 The multidisciplinary approach when it comes to medical care. WHow all medical decisions depend on input from clinicians, embryologists, nurses. How a patient’s psychological status is well cared for with access to counselling and how partners are also supported How CRGH are well known to be a centre of referral where patients come, after recurrent failures eg. implantation failures or miscarriages To find out more visit CRGH Find them on facebook or Instagram Follow The Fertility Podcast on Instagram

If you’re a regular listener to The Fertility Podcast, you’ll probably be well aware that Kate, an independent fertility nurse consultant is our Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) expert and in this bitesize chunk she explains some of the core elements of getting your head around PCOS.What's discussed: How do you know if you have PCOS How is it diagnosed?&nbsp;Can a woman with PCOS conceive?&nbsp;How you ovulate when you have PCOS&nbsp;What you should eat with PCOS?To find out more about Kate, follow here on Insta here Follow The Fertility Podcast on Instagram

In this episode of The Fertility Podcast Bitesize we'll be hearing from Emma Grønbæk who is a Nurse and Content Marketing Coordinator at Cryos International supplies frozen&nbsp;donor sperm&nbsp;and eggs to more than 100 countries worldwide. Cryos has the world’s largest selection of Non-ID Release and ID Release donors and boast the highest number of registered pregnancies in the world.Emma offers advice and guidance on how to have conversations which can cause lots of worry, in terms of how to talk about the donor and when is the best time to have the conversation. Cryos have a dedicated section on their website talking about timings along with research from Susan Golumbok. There are also personal stories and other resources such as books you can read to your children. Titles such as 'Happy Together' and The Pea that was Me' are really popular. Cyros also has a whole FAQ section available. To find out more visit Cryos International and you can follow them on Instagram and facebook You can also follow us Instagram

Possibly the MOST frustrating diagnosis when you are trying to conceive, unexplained or 'sub' fertility can really mess with your head as you just want to have something you can focus on. It's a label that we give people who haven't conceived within a reasonable timeframe and whilst it doesn't necessarily mean that there's a problem if there might be a number of things that are preventing a pregnancy. In this episode Dr Jane Stewart, NHS Consultant in Reproductive Medicine in NE England and one of 143 experts is answering more of your questions over at fertially.com who we've worked with to make this bitesize chunk for you. Jane explains what investigations can be done to try and find out what could be the problem, including explaining how it's important to consider.Here you'll learn:Length of time a couple have been trying Making sure they're having reasonably regular sex The menstrual cycle of the woman needs to be considered Sperm Health - so tests need to be done Making sure the woman's fallopian tubes aren't blocked Follow Jane on TwitterListen to our full a patient story about their Unexplained diagnosis here Follow The Fertility Podcast on Instagram Follow FertiAlly on Instagram

In this episode of The Fertility Podcast Bitesize we'll be hearing from Emma Grønbæk who is a Nurse and Content Marketing Coordinator at Cryos International supplies frozen&nbsp;donor sperm&nbsp;and eggs to more than 100 countries worldwide. Cryos hase the world’s largest selection of Non-ID Release and ID Release donors and boast the highest number of registered pregnancies in the world.Emma talks about what you need to consider when choosing a sperm donor in this snippet about donor conceptions as well as highlighting the resources Cryos have available for you as they know how overwhelming this decision making process can be. To find out more visit Cryos International and you can follow them on Instagram and facebook Do come say hi on Instagram

Welcome to the first episode of The Fertility Podcast bite-size, where the aim is to give you a snippet of useful information. March is Endometriosis Awareness Month and Andrew Horne is a Professor or Gynaecology and Reproductive Sciences and Co-Director at the EXPPECT Centre for Pelvic Pain and&nbsp;Endometriosis and one of 143 experts is answering more of your questions over at fertially.com who we've worked with to make this bitesize chunk for you. What you'll learn: What is EndometriosisHow it can impact a woman’s fertility What are the symptoms The four stages of endometriosisHow would a woman know what stage of endometriosis she might have?The best pain management before surgical intervention&nbsp;Can you still be fertile? If you have endometriosisTo get more support for Endometriosis visit Endometriosis UKListen to our full interview with Andrew Horne Follow The Fertility Podcast on Instagram Follow FertilAlly on Instagram

OK, we're trying something a little different in 2022 and we'll be sharing bite-size chunks of useful information with you every Friday. We'd love to know if you like them so do come and say hello on insta

Male Fertility is something we have talked about on The Fertility Podcast a lot in the past and you can hear more of our conversations here All too often Men are overlooked when having conversations with healthcare and medical professionals about this topic and as you will hear, they often don't want to speak to anyone about what is going on. This bonus episode being shared to support National Fertility Awareness Day and its focus on male fertility is called 'MAN UP' - an ethnodrama written from empirical research date from interviews with people experiencing complex fertility journeys by Manchester Metropolitan University. It has been written and produced by www.jennyberry.co.uk&nbsp;Follow on insta: Jenny BerryFertility Poddy Fertility Network UK

In this episode, as we near the end of this current series of the podcast, we chat with Steph Phillips the founder of World Childless Week.World Childless Week is a relatively new initiative raising awareness of being childless not by choice. Steph tells us how the interest in this week, but also across the year, has increased dramatically over the last 2 years. We also talked about the differing terminology used to explain living without children and how Steph as learned to own the term ‘Childless’.The World Childless Week website encourages people to submit blogs and videos to get their voices and stories heard. Steph has noticed in recent weeks that this is gaining more momentum and people are wanting to take ownership of their childlessness.The COVID pandemic has highlighted the difficulties in the workplace faced by childless people – the discussions on Zoom about children, children seen on Zoom etc. However, the pandemic has also encouraged greater awareness surrounding mental health for example and Steph also sees this as a positive for sharing childless awareness. The sharing the commonality of childlessness has had a profound effect on Steph and others, providing validation and an outlet for grief. We also talked about finding the humour and laughter that can come with sharing stories and that it is possible to come through the dark days.We discuss the narrative surrounding childlessness and how frequent the insensitive comments are heard, such as ‘Have you thought about adoption’. This needs to change. Steph recommends listening to this webinar - which will help to highlight what not to say to a childless individual.Did you know that there is more childless men than women?Men rarely speak out, but they need to be heard more.Steph talks about the desire many childless individuals have to leave a legacy and why it is important for us not to be forgotten. Steph now tries to leave a legacy in a different way – she may compliment someone on their leggings or let a car out in front of her. This small action can make their day and never hurts to be kind.Next steps, Steph hopes to make a difference in raising awareness of childlessness in the workplace. Steph welcomes submissions on any topic for the website. See below for more information on how you can do this.SOCIALS:FacebookTwitterInstagramReleasing Our Grief through the Power of Words (good to help people find the confidence to start exploring the cathartic power of writing):Legacy - Making Today CountFertility poddy KateOther episodes we mentioned:Jessica HepburnKate KaufmannLesley PyneYvonne JohnKelly Da SilvaJody Day

Today we’re talking all about what happens after fertility – parenting after IVF. What is it like to be pregnant and then parenting after you’ve gone through a fertility journey? Is it different if you’ve not experienced this rollercoaster journey and you’ve managed to conceive naturally? To find out, we’re giving a big welcome to a previous guest and friend of the podcast – Cat Strawbridge otherwise known as @tryingyears.Cat, after 7 years of trying to conceive and multiple rounds of IVF, finally became a mum to beautiful Wren, who has recently celebrated her 2nd birthday. Cat works tirelessly to break the silence surrounding infertility, has her own podcast The Finally Pregnant Podcast, consults within the fertility industry, host events and to top it all is now (at time of writing) embarking on fertility treatments to try for a sibling for Wren.We’re delighted to chat to Cat again and wanted to ask her what are the most common fears for women who have conceived following fertility treatments? Cat didn’t hesitate in answering – the anxiety. The anxiety of pregnancy, ‘scanxiety’ and once parenting the fear of being an overbearing and anxious parent.You may not have heard the term ‘scanxiety’ before but we suspect you’ve felt it. It’s that anxiety you get every time before and during a scan. Whether it be a fertility or pregnancy scan, that fear never leaves you. Cat talked about her pregnancy with Wren and her need to have regular reassurance by having a scan. Particularly as sadly, Cat lost Wren’s twin sister in early pregnancy. Cat talks about how ‘scanxiety’ starts from the moment she’s booked the scan until she’s had the reassurance that everything is OK. We talked about Cat’s experiences of how the scanning professionals dealt with her anxiety, which luckily was generally positive, however we all know that sometimes bad news isn’t delivered in the best way and many professionals seem to lack empathy. A recent guest Amber Isso termed this ‘empathy fatigue’.Kate recently had the pleasure of listening to a webinar Cat did for ESHRE week on hope and how professionals can help patients maintain hope by treating them respectfully and honestly and acknowledging that it is the patient’s fertility journey. Whilst health professionals are becoming more informed on how to speak to patients, she feels that there is still a long way to go.Cat then spoke about her decision to try for another baby with her remaining embryo and how this has been a difficult decision to make, especially as this is her last shot. She is feeling overwhelmed, excited and petrified but hopes that this time around she has more knowledge and the resilience to cope better. Kate talked about how the emphasis on a second attempt at IVF after having success is so different. The first time it’s on your having a baby, the second its on having a sibling for your child, so the pressure is totally different.&nbsp;We also discuss Cat’s feelings on the COVID-19 vaccine and how she has had one but plans to delay the second one for now.Since recording Cat has shared that her FET didn’t work and has spoken about it on her socials. We send Cat all our love and thank her for talking to us.&nbsp;Other episodes mentioned:&nbsp;Katie Eaves who is working to support midwives understand how to talk to pregnant women who have been through infertilityWe also spoke in a previous episode with Julianne Boutelab about the fears we have on becoming parents.&nbsp;SOCIALS:&nbsp;Cat Strawbridge Fertility Poddy<a...

As we head towards the end of this series, we really want to make sure you know about all the other episodes we have, which you can listen to via www.thefertilitypodcast.com&nbsp;We’re having a break at the end of the month and will be back in November but will be reminding you through all of our channels of other episodes so you’ll still have plenty to listen to.&nbsp;This week we catch up with&nbsp;Not a Fictional Mum (NFM) who we actually spoke to in December 2020 and then didn’t get to publish the chat until now. If you follow her on insta you will know she has had an incredible year and is doing so much to change the narrative about Adoption especially in retail.&nbsp;We start off by chatting about her decision to start her Insta, which was after her friends told her to use social media in a positive way and she threw herself into it and she has aced it.&nbsp;She wanted to make people stop and read to get her messages across. She has decided to stay fictional and not share photos.&nbsp;She spoke about the heartbreak of finding out their family wasn’t going to be created as they’d expected and how she has made a point of not sharing who had the infertility issue.&nbsp;What happened after getting the diagnosis of infertility&nbsp;They had a free cycle of treatment on the NHS which was all consuming and tough. They did numerous rounds, experienced a miscarriage, spent £25,000 on treatment and it was really taking its toll on their mental health.&nbsp;Once they were told it wouldn’t happen naturally they were already talking about Adoption. However they wanted to try everything so they didn’t have any regrets and Kate talks about talking with clients about trying everything before you ‘close the door’Making the decision to AdoptThe weight was lifted once they decided that this was going to be their route, although it had taken a long time to grieve what wasn’t to be. Every decision she had made previously was all around the treatment, she felt like a robot. Once the decision was made to stop, she felt she had a sense of herself back.&nbsp;Adopting a child will not replace the loss of a biological child. These children are their own people with their own background story and their rights to know that.&nbsp;How much needs to be done about how we talk about Adoption?&nbsp;So much. NFM talks about how it needs to be talked about it early years at school during sex education, all the routes to parenthood should be discussed, so her little boy grows up knowing its just another route.&nbsp;People are curious / nosey about an adopted child and the more we talk about it the more it will be normalised. People whisper the word to you, you can hear it in their tone of voice.&nbsp;There seems to be a stigma about it which is sad. We need to understand it on a wider scale.&nbsp;Obscene questions asked about AdoptionWho is it with the problem, you or him?&nbsp;People are obsessed with his background - his real Mum, his real parentsWhat are you going to do when he grows up, if he wants to go and live with his real parents?&nbsp;Do you think you love him as much as you would if he was your biological child?&nbsp;Thousands of cups of tea with a social worker and the matching processTime is so precious when you’ve spent so many years trying.&nbsp;NFM talks about how she never felt she wasn’t being asked anything necessary or obtrusive. You can find out a lot about yourself and your partner if you open yourself up to it.&nbsp;Matching was the most difficult - stage 1 and 2 there is a lot of onhold support as you have to fill in a lot of...

Don't miss The Fertility Podcast relaunch as we return to guide you through all the many things you need to consider when trying for a baby. We'll be talking about cycles and lifestyle changes as well as other conditions or deficiencies that might be affecting your changes of getting pregnant naturally. Then we'll be moving onto what fertility treatment is all about, the options available for you, support, hollistic treatment and most importantly making sure you know that there is a community for you to join so you don't feel like you are going through this alone. Visit www.thefertilitypodcast.com Follow @fertilitypoddy Closed facebook group  &#10;&nbsp;See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

To mark Men’s Health Week, this week in the UK we are chatting with Tom Webb the Director of The Easy Bit, and Morten Ulsted CEO and co-founder of ExSeed.The Easy BitFirst up it’s Tom. Tom has spoken on the podcast before and this time joins us now that his film – The Easy Bit is finished and now available to watch. The aim of the film is to help men realize that there is help and support out there for them, particularly as more often than not the focus, when going through a fertility struggle, is on the woman.Tom has been overwhelmed by the reaction the film has had from both men and women, but he wasn’t expecting the overwhelming response from the fertility industry on how the film has opened its eyes to how men feel. Hopefully, this will result in changes to care within the clinics and consideration of the language used by men and couples. You can view The Easy Bit now on Vimeo&nbsp;&nbsp;Mental Health and FertilityDuring the film, the men being filmed used the words such as shame, upset, anger, horrific ordeal, and emotional toil, to explain their experiences of infertility and all talked about the feeling of being ignored throughout their journey.The film highlighted that counseling services within clinica are all set up for women and no support is available for men. However, Tom found that men do prefer to access support very differently from women such as through podcasts, peer-to-peer support, and men-only Facebook groups.&nbsp;To visit the Men Only Fertility Support Facebook page click hereTom tells us how watching the film can teach men so much and validate their feelings. One of the men filmed said that being vulnerable makes you strongerCOVID-19 and MenThe new guidelines within clinics due to COVID-19 mean that men may well be excluded from the majority of appointments. Tom believes that excluding men will do so much damage, and he hopes that clinics will consider ways in which men can be safely included during this time.&nbsp;ExSeed the Home Sperm TestMorten Ulsted is the CEO and co-founder of the sperm home test ExSeed. Morten set about developing an advanced home test that is as good as clinic tests. The test uses the amazing computing power and camera technology we all have in our pockets on our smartphones.What ExSeed TestsUsing your phone as an advanced microscope, the ExSeed test looks at sperm concentration and motility. Morten wanted to design a test that any healthcare practitioner, anywhere in the world, will look at the result and feel confident with what it says.As well as testing, ExSeed also offers a personalised programme to improve sperm based on the test. This bespoke advice supports men to work on and improve their lifestyles to optimize their fertility. Through the ExSeed App users are also able to book a chat with a doctor, dietician, or personal coachWhen should you test with ExSeed?Morten tells us that the test can be used for men who are curious about their fertility, those who are starting out trying to conceive, and those who have been trying for some time and want to monitor any progress. The ExSeed box comes with 5 tests and Morton recommends that as sperm parameters can fluctuate on a daily or weekly basis, you should test once then wait about a week and repeat the test. It’s important to abstain from ejaculation 48 hours beforehand.ExSeed costs £149.00 for 5 tests and is available on the ExSeed website. Check out Natalie’s Facebook Group where she’s...

Frankie Brunker – These Precious Little PeoplePlease be warned that this weeks’ episode is a hard-hitting and emotional one. It is a raw and emotional account of stillbirth and the grief that follows.Natalie chats with Frankie Brunker, whom Natalie met at a fabulous Yoga day put on by Lucy from The Rainbow Running club.Route to ParenthoodFrankie’s route to parenthood started really quickly after conceiving in the first month of trying however, devastatingly their daughter was born stillborn at 38 weeks. This came as a complete shock.Frankie’s husband had to call their family from the hospital to break the news. Frankie felt so concerned about telling family and how they would feel, particularly her nieces and nephews who were excited about a new baby coming into the family. They decided that they needed to be insular and in their own little bubble to get through this difficult time, one day at a time.The Funeral&nbsp;Frankie made the decision for her nieces and nephews not to attend the funeral of their daughter. At the time, this felt like the right decision but now Frankie has some regrets and is now mindful that not being included may make it more difficult for children, in general, to deal with grief.Experiencing a StillbirthFrankie talks about her experience of giving birth at the hospital and how she felt that some of the midwives had limited experience of caring for a mother delivering a stillborn baby, and that she felt there were gaps in the bereavement care she and her husband received.Frankie’s honest account of the, sometimes insensitive and ignorant, remarks she has received along the way is powerful and arrestingPrecious Little People&nbsp;As a result of her experience, Frankie is now the author of a beautiful children’s book to help explain baby loss to children but also Frankie says the book helps adults to come to terms with grief too.&nbsp;Her aim for the book is that you can talk about loss of your baby but that you can still think of them and smile. Her book aims to appeals to bereaved parents from diverse communities and cultures.Blogging as a bereaved parent&nbsp;Frankie has recently written a blog giving support to bereaved parents who may be finding it especially difficult going through this experience during lockdown, and urges people to reach out for support.&nbsp;SOCIAL MEDIA:Frankie Brunker Instagram: @thesepreciouslittlepeopleThe Fertility Podcast&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;&nbsp;Kate DaviesInstagram&nbsp;See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to another ‘Meet the Makers’ episode where we chat to Louise Zeniou from Cradle. When we spoke to Louise, she had been having a busy few days with various media interviews, and in-between her busy schedule she managed to sneak in an interview with us whilst sat on the floor outside the toilets in Pret!Louise has a personal experience of what it feels like to go through early pregnancy loss when she became ill and diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy. As she was so ill, she was rushed into hospital and had surgery immediately. She talks about the amazing care she received, but after surgery she missed the most basic of items such as a toothbrush and a hairbrush.The Comfort BagFrom her own experience Louise started the Comfort Bag Project with the aim to support hospitals, so that in those early moments of pregnancy loss women and men can be provided with toiletries and other products to give them a little comfort and importantly dignity. In the bag Louise also includes a personal message to give immediate words of comfort following a loss and the ways bereaved parents can connect for support once they have been discharged from hospital.How Cradle Supports the NHSCradle provides Comfort Bags to various hospitals across the country and it’s growing! From just starting out as one, Louise now has 73 volunteer ambassadors. Cradle also work with Hospital Trusts as the patient voice to help in the development of services and projects for bereaved parents.&nbsp;SignpostingThe role of Cradle is also to signpost to various support and counselling services to offer parents much needed professional support.&nbsp;Want to get involved?Contact Louise for information on how you can become an ambassador for Cradle.SOCIAL MEDIA:&nbsp;CRADLEThe Fertility Podcast@fertilitypoddyKate Davies&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Meet Katy Leeson, Managing Director of Social Chain who also hosts a podcast called 'I Shouldn't Say This But' and at the time of us chatting had just been nominated for an award for 'Leading the Charge and Pushing the Boundaries' with Campaign Magazine ( a big industry title ) I spoke with Katy in real life at Social Chain's very cool office in central Manchester, in the days where you could do that, which is why Kate isn't in this episode.&nbsp;Self ProtectionKaty spoke about her struggle with the responsibility of being a young female Managing Director. She had imposter syndrome and took herself into therapy sessions to get support on how best to deal with it. In the context of this chat, Katy explained how she made sure she was mentally prepared to talk about her miscarriage in the public sphere because she had no idea what the reaction would be and she was nervous that people would tell her it wasn't the right place or platform&nbsp;- something so many people fear when talking about infertility.&nbsp;Baby Loss Awareness WeekKaty shared her story in October 2019, a year on from her miscarriage which happened in December 2018. She spoke about the challenges of that time of year with everybody being together and how it forced her into telling people that I was pregnant, as she wasn't drinking in the Chrimbo celebrations - this was before the '12 week' point. Her family and friends knew and so she also had to share her that she had miscarried on Christmas Eve because she didn't want to get messages wishing her the best Christmas and New Year because I was going to have a baby in the next year. Katy talked about feeling that she was also ruining other people's Christmas because I'd tell them such sad news.Miscarrying Naturally Katy spoke about how she miscarried naturally the day before she was due to be put under for the operation. The first the scan she had, she said felt a good connection to someone who really cared and she said 'You look healthy, everything there on the scan looks healthy, you've just started an unfortunate experience, there was just a problem with that egg or that sperm, and you should be fine and I can't wait to see you again' which Katy said gave her such hope as every other interaction she had, felt like she was just being told to get on with things.&nbsp;Breakdown in Communication.Katy explained how she was still getting letters about having scans for her pregnancy after she had miscarried due to being registered with two different hospitals and how they were ringing her partner but wouldn't speak to him so he couldn't even act as her&nbsp;gatekeeper for. This meant in the end, she had to have numerous conversations reliving her experience over and over/Telling WorkKaty talked about how she had spoken to others about how much of a lift it is, to be told it's not your fault, which is such a straightforward piece of information to give to somebody. We talked about how she had no follow up conversations after going through it and wasn't given any guidance on where to find support. She had stopped her therapy and hadn't told her work as she didn't want to tell them she was going through 'something so horrific'&nbsp;because she was worried they would think she would then be trying again and be off on Maternity. So she didn't tell anyone and struggled with it from Christmas until Easter - which is when she said the broke down. When she did tell them, they were amazing&nbsp;Talking it through in TherapyKaty discussed the grieving process with her therapist and how she had been putting so much pressure on herself with her work and doing the right thing by others. She talked about giving herself permission to grieve once she had accessed support once again. She also talked about how she...

In this bonus episode,Kate and I speak with&nbsp;&nbsp;Sally Cheshire, who is the chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)&nbsp;These shownotes are a transcript of part of our conversation with Sally. Please listen to hear the full interview:What is 'elective treatment'&nbsp;It is the word that the NHS use when it's not an outright emergency. So the NHS made that decision. And it's an unfortunate name because no one chooses to go in for surgery, particularly with regard to fertility treatment, but that's the word that's been used.&nbsp;So the NHS said that they would suspend all non-emergency treatment during the pandemic, so the only people who were being treated in the first stages of the pandemic after the 23rd of March, that was, were people who were in an emergency situation.What we said in terms of fertility is that patients who were having cancer surgery, for example, and needed fertility preservation would still be allowed to go ahead and our clinics would stay open for those patients to store gametes and embryos. But also, we would allow as many patients as possible to try and finish their cycles if they had started. And we know that there was a different response from clinics, and you can imagine that they were trying to manage, as well as all other NHS hospitals, some clinics carried on with those cycles, and then collected eggs or frozen eggs or embryos. But some patients we know had their cycles cancelled earlier than the 15th of April. And all I have to say is it was up to the clinic to decide whether they could go ahead. Some of them of course, had already lost staff to the front line. They'd had some of their equipment used for testing for virus testing from the embryology lab, and some of them also had staff who were self isolating or who've been diagnosed.&nbsp;Counselling:We do know there's been a massive increase in patients seeking counselling support. But if you actually talk to counsellors, some patients are asking different questions. Some of them are clearly distressed, not being able to have treatment. Some of them are very fearful of the virus and what impact it might have. So counsellors tell us they've seen an increase in patients who were just seeking help to deal with their general anxiety, not necessarily ready to talk about the implications of their particular treatment and what that might mean. So we do know that there is support out there and I'm sorry to patients who didn't quite get what they wanted, perhaps from their clinic.Professional Guidance:We've had to rely on professional guidance. So from the UK bodies from the British fertility society and of and the clinical scientists, but also from Europe and America, who advised similarly to stop treatment, until we knew a few more things, and their guidance has been very similar to the UK all along. And the Royal College of Obstetricians and gynaecologists also had to think about whether they considered there was any risk in early pregnancy. And they've also issued a couple of sets of guidance. So I think everybody has issued at least two sets of guidance over the last four weeks from the professional bodies. We've issued a number of letters to clinics explaining our requirements. And we've also tried to communicate with patients as best we can.The professional bodies have issued their latest guidance, which is cautious optimism.Tough Decision:I think this is the most difficult decision the FDA has ever had to make in 30 years really and the board and the staff have tried so hard to get it right. One of one of our criteria, quite rightly, was that there was no, or that there was as much evidence as possible to say there was no increased risk in pregnancy. And when I was thinking about it this morning, as a patient, you know, pregnancy is...

Welcome to this bonus episode of The Fertility Podcast in association with Medichecks, the home blood-testing company.&nbsp;Medichecks have started working with the wonderful Kate Davies, aka my co-host to develop a range of fertility tests and they invited me to their headquarters in Nottingham to talk more about them. So I headed back to my home town with brand new podcasting kit to chat with Sam Rogers,&nbsp;Medical Director and Natasha Fernando. Head of Clinical Excellence and Kate about what the tests are going to enable you to find out.&nbsp;What you will hear in this episode is:&nbsp;&nbsp;How the tests were developed looking at which biomarkers people need to understand their fertility and the training for Medichecks doctors in how they process themHow Medichecks will look at people’s medical histories, lifestyle, diet, activity and energy levels and tie in with the info they glean from blood tests.How repeat customers are getting much more informed about how behaviours affect their lifestyle and how home testing means you don't have to wait until you are over 40 (which is when the NHS do overall health checks )&nbsp;Baseline Fertility Tests&nbsp;FSH &amp; LH Levels:&nbsp;these control periods and time of ovulation, levels of Oestradiol - the main female hormone which shows if you are ovulatingProgesterone: 7 days before the first day of a period. This can be called the 21-day test. Kate explains how she sometimes gets two tests during that timeAMH:&nbsp;and how it gives an indicator as it is a useful measurement but is no means a guarantee of a baby. A lower test result shouldn't cause panic, just talk to your doctor, look at your baseline hormone levels.&nbsp;PCOS:&nbsp;looks at an initial diagnosis PCOS test as well as looking at the more long term effectsFor Men:&nbsp;Testosterone:&nbsp;looking at the hormones that control testosterone release as the body it likes to hold on to it. We also discussed the impact on male fertility from using protein shakes and steroids and how you get irreversible, low levels of fertility or infertility as a result.&nbsp;We also discussed tight pants!Advice for Men&nbsp;To limit alcohol and coffee and how smoking is so bad for developing sperm.Exercise&nbsp;- we discuss how too little or too much can have negative effects on sperm production. We also discussed Jonathan Ramsey - a Urologist and former podcast guest who has talked about how cycling for commuting is OK, but long rides put a lot of pressure on the testicles. Hear a previous chat with Jonathan here&nbsp;We discussed the importance of avoiding hot tubs, heated car warmers, and Natasha talked about papers on mobile phone radiation in pockets.Erectile DisfunctionAn early sign that the blood vessels are getting clogged up with cholesterol. Testosterone can also cause it as can the stress and pressures of TTC.&nbsp;DietOverall benefits of eating a health diet, which can help the balance of your hormones. We discuss what oxidative stress levels are and how you can manage them.&nbsp;The benefits of plant based diet&nbsp;and how a&nbsp;Vegan lifestyle - has no impact on testosterone levels. There is a belief amongst Men that a plant-based diet lowers testosterone but there is no evidence available&nbsp;Sleep&nbsp;The importance of sleep and how many health factors it can impactHow to future proof your fertilityBe proactive in the conversations you have with your family. For example, ask your mother when she had her menopause. With Men, don't be afraid to talk to your doctor if you have any pains in your testicles.&nbsp;&nbsp;Any concerns you...&nbsp;See <a...

Meet Janet Murray. Janet is a digital content expert, author, and fellow podcaster. Earlier in the year Janet shared an article about secondary infertility and we wanted to talk to her about this and her experiences of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy.Fertility StruggleJanet struggled with infertility and after routine tests, she was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis. Treatment ensued and shortly after her diagnosis, Janet fell pregnant. Sadly this pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, and Janet, who is normally a very pragmatic person, felt completely floored. However, she did fall pregnant again but this pregnancy was thwarted by anxiety and at 29 weeks Janet went into early labor. Luckily after time in neonatal intensive care, Janet was able to bring home her daughter Katie. Very soon after, Janet was surprised to find she was pregnant again. Unfortunately, this pregnancy ended in an ectopic pregnancy and Janet was told that she would be unlikely to conceive again.The loneliness of the first 12 weeksJanet shares her thoughts on how difficult it is to reach out for support for after an early miscarriage, as it’s almost taboo to talk about your pregnancy until after the 12-week point.I have an excuse to talkSecondary infertility is frequently dismissed by society. Over the last 5 years, Janet has run five London Marathons to raise money for The Miscarriage Association and the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust and she feels this has given her an excuse to talk about miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy in a public space."At least you have oneJanet felt that friends didn’t understand her desire to have another child and a sibling for her daughter.&nbsp;Because she was career-focused people always assumed that Janet only wanted to have one child out of choice. In her article (above) Janet talks about the agony of not being able to have a sibling for Katie.SOCIAL MEDIA:Janet Murray&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;Miscarriage AssociationEctopic Pregnancy Trust&nbsp;Bliss&nbsp;Tommy’s&nbsp;The Fertility Podcast&nbsp;InstagramKate Davies&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It was a bleak and dreary day.. .Kate and I connected with Eleanor Stevenson, Professor of Nursing from Duke University, North Carolina USA and Kevin McEleny, Consultant Urologist at Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust to discuss a brilliant new initiative to support men struggling with infertility.Together Kevin and Eleanor have created All about fertility&nbsp;an evidence-based resource providing couples with up to date articles, webinars and videos created by experts from the field of fertility. But they didn’t want to just stop there. From their research Kevin and Eleanor identified that men didn’t want to engage with support from counsellors and so they created a support forum just for men to access support in a way that was accessible to them and on their terms.Peer Support&nbsp;In the future, Kevin and Eleanor hope to roll out other versions of this platform to include support forums for same-sex couples and women. In the US, Eleanor is seeing that professionals are becoming more aware of male fertility but as yet, US men aren’t opening up. Whereas conversely, in the UK men are beginning to talk and there are a number of men that are leading the way, some of who have been recent guests on the podcast.Educating medical professionalsKevin talks about the need for greater awareness and sensitivity among professionals. The evidence that has come out of their research shows that what men are told at the very start can have enormous consequences on their emotional wellbeing. Eleanor tells us that while men continue to feel that their problems are not real. It reinforces stigma and men get further silenced.SOCIAL MEDIA:&nbsp;https://all-about-fertility.com/Twitter&nbsp;Kevin on twitter&nbsp;Eleanor on twitter&nbsp;FacebookKevin’s previous episode on The Fertility Podcast&nbsp;The Fertility Podcast&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;&nbsp;Kate DaviesInstagram&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this special episode, we wanted to address some of your questions and concerns with regards to coronavirus and what this means for your fertility treatments. So over the next few weeks, we’re bringing in the experts!  First up we chat with Julie Morgan, who like Kate, is a Fertility Nurse Consultant. Julie has been keeping the TTC community up to date by sharing really useful information and updates on her instagram @allaboutinfertility Not all clinics are routinely cancelling treatments. Please check with your clinic to find out what their up to date guidance is. Don’t stop any medication until you have spoken with your clinic. Clinics are open currently and are here to help and advise you during this difficult time. Egg collection does appear to still be going ahead in many cases. To help with social distancing, clinics will be operating slightly differently with phone and video consultations, and face-to-face appointments may be staggered. If you are undergoing a stimulation cycle it is likely (although not in all circumstances) that you will be able to continue with your cycle. If you are newly pregnant it is advised that you self isolate but speak with your clinic for further advice. Clinics who offer egg donation have been advised that patients must not donate if they have recently visited a high-risk country, and must wait for a minimum of 28 days if infected with coronavirus or after being in contact with someone with coronavirus before donating. If you are having treatment abroad, please contact your clinic for further advice and self isolate if required. If you are self-funding your treatment and are required to freeze embryos in what would have been a fresh cycle, it may be that your clinic will not charge you for storage fees. However, there may be costs associated with repeat tests etc on restarting treatment again in a few months. Please bear in mind that we recorded this interview last Friday, and in this ever-changing and dynamic world, it is likely that there may be more recent updates available. Please do check with your clinic for the most up to date information for your individual circumstance. SOCIAL MEDIA Julie Morgan  Instagram  The Fertility Podcast Instagram   Kate Davies  Instagram  &#10;&nbsp;See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Covid-19 and fertility treatmentsWe appreciate given the current crisis you may well be worrying about what covid-19 means for your fertility treatments, and therefore at the beginning of this episode, we give you an update on the current advice.At the moment, there is limited guidance out there, however, this will likely change in the coming days/weeks. Currently, the HFEA recommends that you contact your clinic for advice as each clinic will likely have contingency plans in place. We plan to chat with experts this coming week and will, of course, keep you informed of any developments that relate to fertility treatments.If you are required to self-isolate over the coming weeks, then you can be reassured that The Fertility Podcast will be keeping you entertained. So, make sure you subscribe so as not to miss an episode!Parenthood in MindNext up, Natalie and Kate talk to Julianne Boutaleb, a peri-natal psychologist, Clinical Director, and Founder of the Parenthood in Mind practice. Julianne works with women and couples who have experienced trauma in relation to birth and miscarriage but also with women who suffer from fertility trauma.Typical patients that Julianne works with are couples who have concerns with regard to known genetic issues, couples who are facing assisted conception,&nbsp;couples who have had failed cycles or reproductive injuries, and those contemplating donor conception, surrogacy, or adoption to create or complete their family.Many couples who have previously experienced miscarriage come to Julianne as they have a fear – either physically or emotionally of a miscarriage reoccurring.TokophobiaTokophobia is the fear of being pregnant or giving birth. Tokophobia may occur in women who have never given birth to a child, but it may also affect women who have had prior traumatic pregnancies or birth experiences.&nbsp;Protecting your relationshipCouples who don’t conceive are 3 times more likely to separate or divorce than couples who do conceive.Clinics are starting to support couples more with regard to the emotional impactOften reaching menopause can be a trigger for women who haven’t been successful in conceiving through assisted conception.Julianne helps couples rewrite their ‘happy ever after’ story without children.Fertility Trauma*The term Fertility Trauma helps to highlight that struggling to conceive is a real trauma and this also includes ‘perceived’ trauma.Fertility trauma is not just depression, anxiety, or stress but is your brain going into ‘fight and flight’ mode.SOCIAL MEDIA&nbsp;Julianne Boutaleb&nbsp;InstagramJessica Hepburn&nbsp;Unfortunately, since recording this episode, Jessica’s Pond to Peak Challenge and her ascent of Everest has been canceled due to Covid-19 but she will hopefully be making this journey next year!Natalie Silverman&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;&nbsp;Kate Davies&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;*Fertility Trauma explanationThe term ‘reproductive trauma’ was first coined by perinatal psychiatrist Dr....

We all spend A LOT of our time at our place of work of if you freelance, you possibly spend time in and out of workplaces.However it manifests, if you are working it takes up a lot of your time. So when it comes to trying to conceive and struggling&nbsp;- the one thing you really need in place is a supportive workplace.&nbsp;Sadly, this often isn't the case, which is why Natalie has teamed up with two brilliant ladies Becky Kearns and Claire Ingle to create Fertility Matters at work.&nbsp;This episode may seem a big self-indulgent as Natalie interviews Becky and Claire, her partners in crime at Fertility Matters At Work, but please do indulge us just this once as we are on a mission.&nbsp;One step at a time we are looking to change how fertility issues are addressed in the workplace.The motivation behind Fertility Matters At WorkBecky has a background in HR but also experienced fertility treatments and a miscarriage whilst holding down a job and strongly felt that so many things could have been done differently. Becky hears from other women just how stressful it is for women going through fertility treatments and how they have felt that they’ve not been able to speak out, feeling misunderstood and unsupported in the workplace. Becky recently featured in the latest video from Ferring Pharmaceuticals talking about one encounter she had with her boss which you can watch here&nbsp;Claire also has an HR background and felt that she ‘bumbled’ through her IVF treatment, working around appointments and trying not to inconvenience her place of work. This caused Claire so much anxiety and stress and she felt she couldn’t manage both her job and her fertility treatments. Like Becky, Claire felt this could have been handled so differently. Claire also felt that the policy in her workplace was lacking. Natalie met Claire through a mutual friend as Claire was already running a survey on her instagram called IVF at Work&nbsp;Support in the workplaceNatalie shared her experience of not knowing who she could turn to for advice and support within her workplace. Both Becky and Claire noticed that while they were working in HR never once did an employee came to them for support or to understand what they were entitled to. Employees are worried about how they are going to be perceived for openly admitting that they are trying for a baby, and there is the assumption that women who are trying to conceive are not as committed.Advice to employers and employeesTogether they are hoping that they can increase the conversations and narrative surrounding what needs to be thought about from employers and an employees perspective. They have already found that they are getting a huge response on social media and have started gathering examples to use this to inform employers about the issues that women are facing.Natalie, Becky and Claire want to be able to offer advice and tips to empower women to start conversations and challenge their employers to change current policies and strategy. However, they also hope to be able to support employers to aid retention of the workforce and understanding what their generation of workers need.Changing policiesAll organisations will differ on how easily and quickly they can change policy. Natalie, Becky and Claire hope to be able to offer employers assistance with the development and implementation of these policies.Socials:Fertility Matters at Work on InstaGet in touch via email with your positive or negative...

Meet Dr Dean Morbeck, Scientific Director at Fertility Associates in New Zealand and Sunfert International Fertility Centre in Malaysia, which combined have 10 fertility clinics in the two countries.&nbsp;Prior to moving to New Zealand, he was an Associate Professor at the Mayo Clinic for 10 years.&nbsp;He is an internationally recognized expert on quality in the IVF laboratory, having published more than 40 papers, numerous book chapters and is the coeditor of a book that is a practical guide for embryologists. He is taking his passion and expertise for the science of IVF beyond the laboratory to engage with patients with the goal to improve the patient experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;In his spare time, Dean has written many research papers, book chapters and is the co-author of a practical guide for Embryologists.If that wasn’t enough, in 2010 Dean is also starting a Podcast with the aim of improving the patient experience, called "The Fertility Patient Revolution".&nbsp;Look for it in 2020!Single embryo transfer vs MultipleWe interview Dean while he is at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine conference (ARSM) in the US, and he talks about his views on single embryo transfer vs multiple. In the US this is the first year that has seen a decrease in twin rate in both natural pregnancy and IVF.As a clinician, this is the preferred outcome to reduce the risks associated with multiple births. Twin pregnancies result in 8 times the risk of complications to both mother and baby but also an increased financial and time burden once the babies are born. New Zealand has seen less than 10% twin rate overall.&nbsp;The IVF League TablesDean has recently been reviewing the HFEA data for individual clinics in the UK and was surprised to see a number of clinics with high twin rates of 20% or higher. He feels there is a trade-off between clinics desiring high pregnancy rates and therefore an increase in twin pregnancy rate. Dean’s impression is that patients are attracted to clinics high pregnancy rates but may not necessarily take on board the resulting twin pregnancy rate and what this might mean for adverse pregnancy outcomes.Increasing the chances of successIn New Zealand 97% patients receive a single embryo transfer, however in particular clinical situations, women may receive a double embryo transfer. However Dean states that it is a myth that transferring more than one embryo increases the chances of success, you actually have the same or higher by transferring single embryos consecutively. Dean feels that it is critical that patients receive the right information at the right time to help them make informed decisions based on the risks associated with twin pregnancies.&nbsp;Changing the narrativeDean is noticing a sea change globally and in particular in the US, with regards to an increase in single embryo transfers. This increase is impart, as a result of greater success with frozen embryo cycles.&nbsp;Dean is also seeing more focus globally on supporting the patient and in particular supporting the couple and their relationship. Managing the expectations of a couples treatment is also vital, particularly with regards to the success rates of an initial cycle.The multiple births foundation - as referred to in this episode&nbsp;SOCIAL MEDIA:&nbsp;Dean Morbeck:InstagramFacebookLinkedINThe...